To be a father
by Rain on your Back
Summary: As Hao awaits some very important moment of his life, Marco reflects on why he has to deal with that bloody murderer...


**Name:** To be a Father

**Author:** Rain

**Disclaimer:** Shaman King is Takei's… T.T

**Pairing:** Surprise surprise! %)

**Note :** Well, Hao is Shaman King, but alive. And Fudou is present! I mean, the unknown exorcist of the anime! %)

* * *

- Hao.  
- Blondie.

There was no anger nor teasing left in these words. Only acknowledgment.

They stared at each other for a long moment. Marco Marxwell, thirty-eight, married man, was sitting on the right edge of the hospital couch; he was tense and couldn't stop his glasses from sliding down on the bridge of his nose. Hao Asakura, twenty-four, soon-to-be married man, was sitting on the left edge of the white couch; he was not so tense, but not relaxed either. Minutes passed and they kept throwing virtual daggers at each other. Again, minutes passed. Marco was still sitting on the same couch as Hao, and he still hadn't tried to kill him.

Doomsday was near.

Some poor nurse was there as well, and, without understanding what was going on, tried to put at ease the two men.

The brown-haired man huffed at that attempt and told her to go away. She did. After that, they remained alone.

The father and the soon-to-be husband.

The piercing dark gaze of Hao returned on the blond-haired man. Without him, he wouldn't be there, in that awfully tiny corridor. He would be in the room, with_ her_, helping and encouraging, being useful… Something he never yearned for as strongly as that day.

But the doctors only allowed one _quiet _person in, and as they both wanted to be on _her_ side, and began to fight each other, they said _she _would stay alone.

Hurtful for each man's pride, of course. That did not help their difficult relationship.

Marco could simply not stand the currently smirking brown-haired man. He was still an enemy. Still Hao the Destroyer, the one who stole his family's life. And now he was stealing Marco's only daughter.

Jeanne-sama. Sweet, peaceful, kind Jeanne-sama. Of all people, why did she pick Hao? She could have had anyone. Anyone. Why Hao? Sometimes he thought if was all a plan to defy him.

Good ol' paranoia.

Jeanne was just everything for the blondie. He had picked her up in the dirty French streets, right after the death of his wife and children. He had let her hold onto him when she had nightmares, he had taught her all he knew, and he had raised her as his own child.

And, in fact, she was.

Maybe that was the reason why he couldn't relax. After losing a first daughter, he had become overprotective towards his second, even when she clearly beat him in both strength and control.

Maybe the feeling would not have been as strong as it was if Rackist had stayed. The dark priest, Marco's own "father", had been the one in charge at the beginning. Jeanne used to look up at him in awe. Rackist would logically have been the one to protect the girl. But he left, breaking Jeanne's heart for the first time, and leaving all his responsibilities to Marco. Leading the X-Laws. Recruiting new members. Finding ways to destroy Hao. Raising Jeanne.

He had left everything behind. Even Meene, sweet Meene, had been erased behind the sea of responsibilities. He had left her to _die_ for the X-Laws' sake. That he had never forgiven his father for. All he was left with in the end was Jeanne, and Lyserg. But Lyserg did not want parents. He already had. They were dead, but they were still Lyserg's parents. Jeanne had none. He concentrated on Jeanne, and soon after the tournament ended, something strange happened. Jeanne seemed to draw attention from just every teenage shaman. The purple-haired Tao. The quiet, gentle dowser. The unknown red-winged exorcist. And, to Marco, the mere thought of her with a guy was… Just… Too much.

But she did not want just any guy. She wanted Hao. Maybe the most surprising fact was that he wanted her back.

When he found out, Meene wondered how he did not die from a heart attack. They all did.

Five years after the tournament, the two foes were dating. Nine years after the birth of the Shaman King, another person was born. Well, she would be born soon.

- If you ever happen to hurt _her, _I'll kill you.

Hao's eyes lazily blinked open, gazing at the blondie. Of course. He expected as much. And they both knew perfectly well that the Japanese boy would do exactly the same. Being the father of Jeanne didn't guarantee Marco anything. Of course.

_Take care of her._ The blond-haired man would never say that: his pride was way too great for him to even consider saying it out loud. That would be, in a way, accepting the very idea that he would be no help for his daughter now, that she would be helpless against Hao because of her _feelings_. He would never be able to admit that his daughter had grown.

Of course. He was the father. It was his job to care about the baby Jeanne never was to begin with.

- You may come and see the baby now.

The poor nurse had returned, but that time, Hao actually listened to her. He stood, followed by the blond man, and they walked to Jeanne's room.

Marco stayed in the doorway as Hao went up to greet his girl. The man saw Jeanne open her eyes and smile. She burst in the tired fit of giggles as Hao "introduced" himself to his new-born daughter. Said daughter opened wide scarlet eyes, as if curious to see who was interrupting her slumber. Her father mimicked her, then laughed, maybe for the first time in front of Marco.

One second, the gaze of the brown-haired man shifted towards his soon-to-be father-in-law. _I will._ Quiet acquiescence on a subject that was never discussed between the two guys.

Then the baby let out a small yelp, and Hao returned his attention to this new life.

The man smirked, and left, leaving the three different laughs fade away slowly behind him. He still did not trust Hao, of course. How could he?

But, somehow, he respected the father of his grand-daughter.

Would have to.

Somehow.

* * *

**Meene:** I have a granddaughter! I HAVE A GRANDDAUGHTER!

**Hao:** ... It's my daughter. Still happy?

**Meene:** Of course! I HAVE A...

**Hao:** I got it, I got it. *sighs*


End file.
